Lizabeth Gray, Post-Gazette Men in skirts: Neil Munro, Stewart Hogg and Craig McGann flank Ralph Papa, president of Citizen's Bank. The Scotsmen came to Oakmont to watch their best friend, Richie Ramsay, compete.

By Marylynn Uricchio & Patricia Sheridan, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette US. Open tee shirts on top, kilts in the Scottish national tartan below. The three lads from Scotland stood out even in a crowd as diverse as the throngs at Oakmont. Neil Munro, Craig McGann and Stewart Hogg had flown across the ocean to watch their best friend, Richie Ramsay, compete in the Open. They were all pals from the University of Sterling, where McGann and Ramsay played on the golf team together.

"We just bought the kilts a few weeks ago for the trip," said Mr. Hogg, adding that they had started in New York and would end in Las Vegas. The beer in America, they volunteered, is not as good as in Scotland. But they were determined to keep an open mind and asked for tips on bars with the biggest selection. Just then Ralph Papa, president of Citizen's Bank, came strolling along. Emblazoned on his polo shirt were the initials RBS, along with the Citizen's logo. "That's our bank!" the guys said, whipping out their bank cards to prove they were Royal Bank of Scotland customers. "That's who pays my salary!" Mr. Papa said with a laugh, explaining that RBS owns Citizen's. As Buckaroo Bonzai said, wherever you go, there you are!

Walking through the steady stream of humanity that has flooded Oakmont this past week, it quickly became apparent that the crowd is mostly from out of town. The accents ranged from every part of the USA to mostly identifiable other countries and continents. Seemed like tons of Australians, lots of Japanese and Brits and quite a few followers from India. What was most interesting is how many mentioned, in casual conversation, that they had been to the U.S. Open before.

On the homefront, every golf club in the region is assigned a hole and invited to send its members to serve as marshals. They volunteer but have to buy their own official shirts ($80!), but they get in free. Some of them looked like walking Christmas trees after a half day shift on the course -- green and white shirts, bright red arms! But what a gracious, inclusive tradition.

For corporations, the Open provided the perfect opportunity to entertain guests and reward important clients. Several villages of corporate hospitality tents offered great food, cold drinks, a respite from the heat and a chance to mingle with other fans. All the big local companies had a visible presence, but Mellon had the best spot -- in the Founder's Room of the clubhouse with a terrace overlooking the first tee!